Injury costs Konta as she crashes out to Govortsova in three sets

Great Britain's Johanna Konta blew a 5-2 lead in the third set to tumble out of the US Open in the second round with a 2-6 6-2 7-5 defeat to Olga Govortsova of Belarus.

Konta looked on course for another fine victory after recovering from a shaky second set, but the 21-year-old wobbled at just the wrong time and lost the last five games.

After success for Andy Murray and Laura Robson on Wednesday, Konta was aiming to make it three British players in the third round in New York for the first time since 1981, but it was not to be.

Early lead: Konta won the first set but could not hold on

Konta has enjoyed a superb run at Flushing Meadows, winning three rounds in her first experience of grand slam qualifying to reach the main draw and then beating Hungary's Timea Babos, a player ranked nearly 150 places higher, in round one.

At 67 in the world, Govortsova is also considerably higher ranked than Konta (203rd), but it was the British player who flew out of the blocks, racing into a 4-0 lead.

Konta comfortably took the first set but Govortsova had steadied the ship and began to put a lot of pressure on her opponent's serve at the start of the second.

The British number five, born in Australia to Hungarian parents, started to miscue and, after taking a medical timeout to have her left thigh strapped, found herself 5-1 down.

Injury: Konta receives medical attention

Konta had fought back from that position against Babos and retrieved one break as Govortsova tightened up, but was then broken again to lose the set.

Konta took the chance to have a bathroom break, as Govortsova had at the end of the first set, and on the resumption she found her best form again.

Two more shocking double faults from Govortsova helped Konta to a 3-0 lead, but still the match lay in the balance.

Going through: Olga Govortsova won in three sets

The Belarusian clawed her way back to 3-2 but Konta held and then broke once more to leave herself serving for the match.

However, she could not get over the line and was broken twice in a row before suddenly finding herself serving to stay in the match.

She saved one match point but blazed a forehand over the baseline on the second and threw her racquet away in disgust.